All the latest news from the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Moutain Rescue Team http://www.twsmrt.org.uk http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/callouts.php#c574 The Team continued their search for the missing 67 year old male from the Belmont area of Durham City. The search continuation was focused on the eastern range of the previous search lead by sightings of missing person on the day he went missing. The search area was difficult to cover because of established crops and dense undergrowth. Nothing found. http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/callouts.php#c574 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/callouts.php#c573 Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team were involved in the search yesterday (Tuesday) for an elderly gentleman missing from home. The 67 year old had not been seen since leaving his home in the Carrville area of Durham on Sunday. John Little, team duty controller said "The police called us out at 7am yesterday. Twelve members of the team spent 12 hours searching farmland, abandoned railway lines and a golf course to the east of the gentlemans house. We also brought in our canoe group to search the River Wear near to Carrville but we have found no sign of the gentleman". Initial call made at 6am with about 20 Team members contributing to the search through the course of the day. The search area included: woodland, farmland, abandoned railway lines and a golf course to the east of the gentlemans house. The Team's canoe group also searched the River Wear from Durham to Finchale. No signs of the missing man were found. http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/callouts.php#c573 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/callouts.php#c572 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/callouts.php#c572 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=72 Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team were involved in the search yesterday (Tuesday) for an elderly gentleman missing from home. The 67 year old had not been seen since leaving his home in the Carrville area of Durham on Sunday. John Little, team duty controller said "The police called us out at 7am yesterday. Twelve members of the team spent 12 hours searching farmland, abandoned railway lines and a golf course to the east of the gentlemans house. We also brought in our canoe group to search the River Wear near to Carrville but we have found no sign of the gentleman". Steve Owers Press Officer 07876 132030 14/07/10 11:15 hrs http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=72 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=71 BIG LOTTERY AWARD FOR MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM The Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team have been awarded £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to support their Water Rescue Project. The need for this project has been identified over the past few years with the increase in flood and water related incidents. The Team has always worked to train and equip its volunteers to respond to search incidents near water, in the past helping out with the floods at South Church Co. Durham, and more recently being deployed to assist in the Cumbrian floods. As the need for trained and equipped organisations has developed especially in the flood arena the Team has looked at its own training and resources. To be of maximum effectiveness several shortfalls were identified – with this Big Lottery Fund those gaps can be filled. Chris Roberts Deputy Team Leader said "The money is to fund the purchase of 2 rescue rafts, each with a slightly different design, suitable for rescue in most types of water be that flood, moving or still. This will be vital equipment for our swiftwater rescue technicians. Thanks to this award we will be able to become a fully equipped and active responder to any flood incidents that may occur within County Durham and beyond if required". "Over the next few weeks we will be negotiating the best possible prices for the rafts to suit our needs – we look forward to a follow up press release showing pictures of our new equipment in action". "As with all of the work undertaken by a voluntary organisation such as ours, donations by bodies such as the Big Lottery and of course the generous donations by the public are our life blood. Now that this project is established it will need to be sustained and we are confident that this can be achieved. As a reminder the Teams recently publish book ’40 Years and Counting’ is available at many shops, details on our website www.twsmrt.org.uk" All attached pictures - (Team members practicing throwline rescue in River Tees) - Copyright: Iain D Kitchen http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=71 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=70 Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team are inviting teams to take part in a Cannon Ball Run on Saturday 24th July 2010. Anthony Tubbs event organiser said "It is the first time we have run such an event and we appreciate people may be apprehensive, we are asking them to think on their feet, navigate without a car (or money) and complete a series of rather unusual tasks. All in aid of charity. We are currently fundraising for a third rescue vehicle and ask that you raise money to support this". "Teams of of 3 or 4 people will be required to meet in Durahm City at 10 am, wearing fancy dress, carrying food and drink for lunch and a digital camera (if possible), along with a huge bag of initiative and good humour. We will then ask them to leave any spare clothes, wallets, car keys etc with us and they will be handed an ‘emergency envelope’ with some money and telephone numbers if required. We will then take them to somewhere in County Durham (each group will be taken to a different location, and they really don’t find out where you are until you get out). They will then be presented with a tasks list, the last of which being that they have to be back in Durham by 5pm" "The type of task could be “a picture of the team on an island” – pretty straightforward – perhaps they dive to the nearest traffic island, or stand on a rock surrounded by water, or maybe, you’ll declare that a picture of the team as you are (Britain being an island), is sufficient… who knows. Points are awarded throughout the day for tasks completed and various prizes including a prize for the most raised from the various teams awarded". THERE WILL BE NO ENTRY ON THE DAY so teams can either enter online www.twsmrt.org.uk and follow the link to the Cannonball or contact the fundraising officer Anthony.tubbs@sandersonweatherall.com or 07890 993 590. http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=70 http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=69 Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team based in County Durham were asked to help yesterday following the Cumbria shootings. The team were called out at 6pm on Wednesday to assist the Lake District Mountain Rescue Teams. They were tasked with search hedgerows and verges on roads radiating out from the village of Rowrah in case any other people had been involved in the shooting. No one was found and the search was stood down at 9am today (Thursday). Steve Owers team spokesman said " this was as unusual search as usually we want to find individuals but in the case the opposite was true. We worked closely with mountain rescue search dogs brought down from Scotland and fortunately no further persons were found". Steve Owers Press Officer 07876 132030 03/06/10 1435hrs http://www.twsmrt.org.uk/pressReleases/releases.php?id=69